Fastest Animal In The World: Members Of The Swift Family6 min read

Fastest Animal In The World: What comes to your mind when you hear the term speed? Your last sports bike or the latest sports car you wish to own?? Well, there are some creatures which can outsprint even your dream sports car. No, we are not talking just about the cheetah.

There is a multitude of sprinters out there- in water, on land and up above in the air- which can give you a run in terms of speed. But why do they need such swiftness?? The answer is – life.

Speed is the key to survival for such animals. The faster they run or the faster they glide, the more they live. Some of them dive through the seas while others soar up in the sky to escape from predators. Others do so to catch their prey while some sprint on the land to survive.

We have compiled a list of fastest animals on earth including both avian and aquatic animals along with terrestrials. So let’s check out who the fastest animals are in the world.

1. Fastest Animal In The World: Peregrine Falcon

Birds have an advantage when it comes to swiftness and speed and this advantage brings a bird to the top of our list of fastest animals in the world. The peregrine falcon characterized by long tails and sharp pointed long wings are the fastest species on earth.

They can attain a maximum speed of 242 mph during flight. The speed is maximum while diving making these birds precarious hunters. The dwell on all continents except Antarctica and make miles long migrations every year from one region to other. Their exceptionally sharp eyesight helps them in spotting their prey from heights.

2. Fastest Animal In The World: Spine-tailed Swift

With a speed of 106 mph yet another bird, the spine-tailed swift makes it second to our list. Endemic to Siberia and central Asia, this bird species does not depend on favorable wind currents for their speed. They spend the majority of their lives in the sky and dwell on high sky-scraping cliffs.

It is a migratory bird and travels hundreds of thousands of miles to migrate from one place to another. Spine-tailed swift is characterized by long wings, short legs and make a smooth swift flight.

3. Fastest Animal In The World: Frigate Bird

This avian is a long-winded, fork-tailed bird endemic to South Africa. These ocean birds have the largest wingspan to body weight ratio and remain mostly in the sky. With a spectacular speed of 95 mph, they can even put peregrine falcon to shame, when compared.

Frigate birds sometimes touch the ground as rarely as once a week. Despite dwelling in the sky for the most of their lives, frigate birds breed near oceans. They take the advantage of their swiftness in stealing food from other ocean birds.

4. Fastest Animal In The World: Spur-winged Goose

As stated above, avian have a sort of advantage in swiftness and continuing the trail is the spur-winged goose, another bird in our list of top 10 fastest animals. Native to South Africa, the spur-winged gooses are the largest ones among the family of the goose.

They are mostly black with white faces and wing patches. These birds can fly at a speed of as much as 88 mph. The average weight of a spur-winged goose ranges from 4_7 kg and are about 40 inches in length. The males are usually heavier than the females. They are mostly spotted in wetlands.

5. Fastest Animal In The World: Cheetahs

Breaking the superiority of Ariel species, the next fastest animal is a land inhabiting mammal- the cheetah. Native to Africa and Asia, cheetahs are the fastest of all land animals. Their long legs and their speed which can go up to 70 mph.

Due to such swiftness; cheetahs usually catch their prey in 40 to 60 seconds. Unlike their fellow members of the cat family, a cheetah is smaller in size and has an average height of 3 meters.

These predators can increase their speed fourfold, making them fast accelerators and sprinters. Unfortunately, these swift predators are becoming rare these days.

6. Fastest Animal In The World: Sailfish

We all know about animals and birds who are swift enough to race past humans on highways but do you know a fish can do that as well? Yes. The Sail Fish endemic to Atlantic and Indo-Pacific Ocean is one of the fastest animals in the world.

This ocean fish can swim at a speed of 68.35 mph in oceans. The 11 feet long body shape of the sailfish helps it acquire such a speed in swimming and diving as well. It mostly dwells near the surface of the ocean and its swiftness helps it to escape octopuses and dolphins.

7. Fastest Animal In The World: Pronghorn Antelopes

The second animal to outspeed birds in terms of speed is the North American Pronghorn Antelope. With a speed of 60.89 mph, these antelopes can outsprint many predators including the voracious cheetahs.

Not only are they great sprinters, but Pronghorn Antelopes can travel the great distance with the same speed, unlike cheetahs. They are characterized by strong legs and shoulders and grow to a height of 3 feet.

Pronghorn Antelopes are migratory animals and typically choose grasslands and riverbanks to migrate.

8. Fastest Animal In The World: Marlin Fish

These blue water fishes are next on our list of fastest animals on the planet. Marlin fishes are one of the longest in the world, reaching out to lengths as long as 14 feet. Found in Pacific and Atlantic oceans, a marlin fish can swim at a speed of 50 mph.

They make use of strong ocean currents to gain such high speeds. They are characterized by a long sharp spear which helps them attack predators and obtain food. Marlin fishes mostly prefer warm waters of the ocean but can dive deep down the ocean bed in a split of a second.

9. Fastest Animal In The World: Blue Wildebeest

Next among the fastest animals in the world, top 10 is the herbivore from the south and east Africa. With strong legs and shoulders, the African Blue wildebeest can attain a maximum speed of 50 mph.They usually grow up to a height of 1.30

They usually grow up to a height of 1.30 Metres. The swiftness of blue wildebeest helps it to escape from predators and also aid in migrations. The herbivore mammal migrates to wetlands in search of grass during dry seasons.

10. Fastest Animal In The World: Brown Hare

Brown hare runs in a straight path but can also move swiftly in a zigzag motion. They can even change directions without slowing their speed. All this makes the brown hare one of the most amazing animals among the fastest animals in the world.

You must be amazed to see such a wide variety of beings out speeding each other. Well, that’s the beauty of our ecosystem. It is encased with beautiful animals, amazing marvelous and amazing creatures which make us wonder about our superiority. Our list included just a few of them but there are many others- uncaptured and unlisted.

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